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Penfold Family History

Penfold Surname Meaning

English (Sussex Surrey and Kent): from Middle English pin-fold pen-fold pun(d)-fold ‘animal pound’ applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by a pound for stray animals or most likely a metonymic occupational name for someone in charge of such a pound.

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Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Penfold family from?

You can see how Penfold families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Penfold family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Penfold families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 918 Penfold families living in London. This was about 28% of all the recorded Penfold's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Penfold families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Penfold surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Penfold ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Penfold. 11% of Penfold men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Penfold women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Penfold were Builders Labourer and Household Duties (unpaid).

View Census Data for Penfold | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    11%
  • Gardener
    7%
  • Bricklayer
    6%
  • Builders Labourer
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Household Duties (unpaid)
    2%

What Penfold family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 81,000 census records available for the last name Penfold. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Penfold census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Penfold

Passenger Lists

There are 6,000 immigration records available for the last name Penfold. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Penfold immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Penfold. For the veterans among your Penfold ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Penfold military records

You've only scratched the surface of Penfold family history

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What is the average Penfold lifespan?

Between 1954 and 2004, in the United States, Penfold life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 1981. The average life expectancy for Penfold in 1954 was 55, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Penfold

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Penfold ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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